Container with reclosure



United States Patent M 3,135,418 CONTAINER WITH RECLOSURE Gerald '1.Tracy, Chicago, Ill., assignor to National Can Corporation, Chicago,Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 174,456 7Claims. (Cl. 22tl60) This invention relates in general to reclosure capsfor containers, and more particularly for containers of the type havinga'closure end seamed to the body thereof.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide acontainer, which may be of the ordinary tin can type equipped with areclosure cap which is capable of fitting over the end of the containerand snugly gripping the seam'thereat so that when the container isopened by cutting away the end, the reclosure cap can be used as aremovable and replaceable cover for the container.

As the can end is cut by the can opener preparatory to removal thereofthe knurled wheel that is customarily provided on many can openersengages the axially inner end of the seam between the can body and thecan and forms a roughly knurled finish thereon. A reclosure cap whichdepends upon gripping or underlying this end of free from contact withthe roughly knurled axially inner end of the seam.

It is a further object of the presentinvention to provide a reclosure ofthe type stated which when positioned on a sealed can, facilitatesstacking of a number of such cans one upon the other,

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container ofthe type stated in which the reclosure cap is formed of a flexibleplastic material so that the cap may be stretched slightly to enable itto clear the maximum .diametral portion of the end seam and then snuglyengage the end seam axially inwardly of such maximum diametral portion.

The attainment of the above and further. objects of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following specification taken inconjunction with the. accompanying drawingforming a part thereof.

- In the drawing: M

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partially broken away and in section, andshowing a container and reclosable cover constructed in accordance withand embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and showing twoidentical cans stacked one upon the other; and

FIG. 4; is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, on an enlargedscale, and showing a portion of the upper end of the container andreclosable cover.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing,which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Adesignates a container which maybe of the so-called tin can type andcomprising a body 1 formed of material such as tin plate, black plate oraluminum foil lined paper board, or the like. The metal of the body isshaped into an enveloping cylindrical side wall 3 with the margins ofthe sheet secured together in any conventional manner, in this instanceby being solder sealed together along a seam 4. The can body 1 has abottom sheet metal can end 5 which is secured at its outer periphery tothe peripheral metal of the side wall 3 through an annular double seam7. Likewise, an upper 3,135,418 Patented June 2, 1964 can end 9 of sheetmetal is joined throughout its entire periphery to the peripheral metalof the side wall 3 by a double seam 11, which is similar to the seam 7.The double seams 7, 11 are each of the so-called pear-shaped type havinga profile as is best illustrated in FIG. 4. The body Wall 3 is flaredoutwardly at its ends where the scams 7 and 11 are formed at an angle ofthe order of 4 to the longitudinal axis of the body, so that the chuckWall 12 as seen inFIG. 4 is at 4 to the vertical. The radially outerexternal surface 13 of the seam 11 has an arcuate shape (viewed in crosssection) between its inner and outer axial ends 15, 17, and the region19 of maximum diameter of the seam 11 lies between the ends 15, 17,somewhat closer to the outer end 17. The lower end 15 is bent along avery small radius, thereby forming a sharp bend. The seam contains asealing compound 18-18 filling the spaces adjacent to the ends of thematerials seamed together. v

The can A has a removable and replaceable unitary cover 21, formed of asuitable molded plastic. The cover includes a central disk portion 23and an oiTset peripheral skirt portion 25 which surrounds the centraldisk portion 23. Sheetformed high impact strength polystyrene is asuitable plastic for the cover 21 since that material does not have agreat tendency to Warp. The cover 21 may have a thickness of about .023inch. The central disk portion 23, lies axially outwardly of'theperipheral skirt portion 25 and is joined thereto by an axiallyextending cylindrical rim 27.

The peripheral skirt portion 25 is formed by an annular channel whichopens inwardly toward the central axis. of the disk portion 23 andincludes radially extending, axially spaced inner and outer flanges 29,31. As best seen in FIG. 4, the distance between the flanges 29, 31 isless than the distance between the inner and outer ends 15,17 of theseam 11. Furthermore, the minimum diameter at 33 .of the inner flange 29is less than the diameter of the seam the flange 29 will abut thesurface 13 near, but not at the .inner end 15, as shown in FIG. 4. Thefrictional grip between the flange 29 and surface 13 retains the cover21 in place on theseam 11.

The cover 21 may be removed, and the upper can end 9 may be cut away byconventional can opener and-removed and discarded. However, in thepresent embodiment of the invention, the upper and bottom can ends 5,

v 9 are of the same diameter so that if desired, the can may simply beinverted and the bottom can end cut away Without the necessity ofremoving the cover 21 from the upper can end 9. When it is desiredtoreclose the open end of the can, it is merely necessary to place thecover 21 over the seam 11 and urge it into its final position in themanner previously described.

The can opener used to remove the can end may contain a knurled wheelwhich will roughen the inner end 15 during the can opening operation.However, the flange 29 does not depend upon gripping or fitting underthe end 15 in order to retain the cover 21 in place. Consequently, theflange 29 has no tendency to hang up on the roughened inner end 15,making the reclosure 21 difficult to remove from the can end.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rim 27 constitutes a stacking projection whichwill telescope within the bottom seam 7 of a super-imposed similar canwhen the two are stacked one upon the other. The outer diameter of therim 27 will, therefore, be slightly less than-the inner diameter f thedouble seam 7 and will have a height such that the central disk portion23 is spaced from the bottom can end 5.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have hereinshown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is,however, to be underflexible removable and replaceable plastic coveroverlying the can end and having a channel shaped peripheral portionthat includes axially inner and outer flanges that are spaced apart adistance less than the width of the seam,

' said flanges gripping the seam to retain the cover thereon with theaxially innermost of the flanges frictionally engaging the seamintermediate opposite axial ends of the seam.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the plastic cover has acentral portion surrounded by the peripheral portion and the centralportion has axially outwardly projecting stacking means for making atelescoping fit with another can.

3. In combination, a can having a can body and a can end secured to oneend of the can body and locked thereto by a seam formed by theperipheral material of the can end and the adjacent material of the canbody, and a flexible removable and replaceable plastic cover overlyingthe can end and having a peripheral portion that grips the seam betweenits axial inner and outer ends and is free from contact with said axialinner end of the seam. a

4. In combination, a can having a can body and a can .end secured to oneend of the can body and locked thereto by a seam which surrounds thecentral axis of the can body and is formed by the peripheral material ofthe can end and the adjacent material of the can body,

and a flexible removable and replaceable plastic'cover having a centralportion and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion, saidperipheral portion 1ncluding a channel opening toward said centralportion and having axially spaced radially extending flanges, theaxially outermost of said flanges abutting the axially outermost end ofthe seam and the other of said flanges abutting the seam between itsaxially inner and outer ends when the cover is in its closed positionoverlying the can end, said other flange having a minimum inner diameterless than the maximum outer diameter of the seam with can body andshifted along the can body to its final position to enable said otherflange to pass over said maximum outer diametral portion of the seam.

5. In combination, a can having a can body and a can end secured to oneend of the can body and locked thereto by a seam which surrounds thecentral axis of the can body and is formed by the peripheral material ofthe can end and the adjacent material of the can body, and a flexibleremovable and replaceable plastic cover having a central portion and aperipheral portion surrounding the central portion, said peripheralportion including a channel opening toward said central portion andhaving axially spaced radially extending flanges, the axially outermostof said flanges abutting the axially outermost end of the seam and theother of said flanges abutting the seam between its axially inner andouter ends when the cover is in its closed position overlying the canend, said other flange having a minimum inner diameter less than themaximum outer diameter of the seam with said maximum outer diameter ofthe seam being between the place of abutment of said other flange andthe axially outermost end of the seam when the cover is in its closedposition, said seam between its maximum outer diametral portion and theplace of abutment of said other flange having a smooth arcuate contour,said peripheral portion being expandable within elastic limits as thecover is placed over the end of the can body and shifted along the canbody to its final position to enable said other flange to pass over saidmaximum outer diametral portion of the seam.

6. The combination of claim 5 further characterized in that the can bodyhas a peripheral seam at its opposite end and the central portion of theplastic cover has outwardly projecting stacking means for making atelescopic fit with an opposite end seam ofta similar container when twosuch containers are stacked one upon the other.

7. In combination, a can having a can body and an end seam whichsurrounds the central axis of the can body, and a flexible removable andreplaceable plastic cover having a central portion and a peripheralportion surrounding the central portion, said peripheral portionincluding a channel opening toward said central portion and havingaxially spaced radially extending'flanges, the axiallyoutermost of saidfiangesabutting the axially outermost end of the seam and the other ofsaid flanges abutting the seam between its axially inner and outer endswhen the cover is inits final position on the end seam, saidtotherflange having a minimum inner diameter less than the maximum outerdiameter of the seam with said maximum outer diameter of the seam beingbetween the place of abutment of said other flange and the axiallyoutermost end of the seam when the cover is in its closed position, saidseam between its maximum outer diametral portion and the place ofabutment of said other flange having a smooth arcuate contour, saidperipheral portion being expandable within elastic limits as the coveris placed over the end seam and shifted along the can body to said finalposition to enable said other flange to pass over said maximum outerdiametral portion of the seam.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FranceApr. 19, 1960

1. IN COMBINATION, A CAN HAVING A CAN BODY AND A CAN END SECURED TO ONEEND OF THE CAN BODY AND LOCKED THERETO BY A SEAM FORMED BY THEPERIPHERAL MATERIAL OF THE CAN END AND THE ADJACENT MATERIAL OF THE CANBODY, AND A FLEXIBLE REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLE PLASTIC COVER OVERLYINGTHE CAN END AND HAVING A CHANNEL SHAPED PERIPHERAL PORTION THAT INCLUDESAXIALLY INNER AND OUTER FLANGES THAT ARE SPACED APART A DISTANCE LESSTHAN THE WIDTH OF THE SEAM, SAID FLANGES GRIPPING THE SEAM TO RETAIN THECOVER THEREON WITH THE AXIALLY INNERMOST OF THE FLANGES FRICTIONALLYENGAGING THE SEAM INTERMEDIATE OPPOSITE AXIAL ENDS OF THE SEAM.